Bad Wolves have officially released their cover of Dolly Parton‘s classic song “Jolene,” but the track arrives under complicated circumstances following the singer’s recent death and the departure of guitarist AJ Rebollo over the decision to release it.
The alternative metal band had originally planned to include Parton herself on the cover. As previously reported, the legendary singer had heard the band’s version of “Jolene,” reportedly approved of the arrangement and was preparing to record vocals for the track before her death on August 25.
With that collaboration no longer possible, Bad Wolves have now released the song as a tribute, with proceeds being directed toward Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
Founding drummer John Boecklin previously explained how the collaboration came together, noting that vocalist Daniel “DL” Laskiewicz had frequently shared performances of “Jolene” before the band decided to record its own version.
“Our singer is a big fan of Dolly and had posted a bunch of videos of her covering ‘Jolene.’ So, we decided to make a rock cover version for our next album.”
According to Boecklin, the band’s label CEO Dan Waite eventually sent the finished recording to Parton’s manager, Danny Nozell, in hopes of securing a guest appearance from Parton.
“We heard back that Danny had played the track to Dolly, and that Dolly loved our version, and that Dolly was going to go into the studio and add her vocals very soon.”
The band subsequently sent the necessary stems to Parton’s studio team, but her passing prevented the planned collaboration from taking place.
Parton’s manager, Danny Nozell, stated that she had given the project her blessing before her death.
“Dolly was a champion of artists pushing musical boundaries. She listened to the Bad Wolves arrangement of ‘Jolene’ weeks ago, gave it her full blessing, and was incredibly excited to collaborate on it.”
Nozell added that releasing the song as a tribute and directing the proceeds toward the Imagination Library was consistent with what Parton and her team wanted.
The situation has drawn comparisons to Bad Wolves‘ biggest hit, their 2018 cover of The Cranberries‘ “Zombie.” That recording was also intended to feature the original song’s vocalist, Dolores O’Riordan, who died before she could record her contribution.
Bad Wolves ultimately released “Zombie” as a tribute to O’Riordan and donated a significant portion of the proceeds to her family. The song went on to become the band’s breakthrough hit and was certified 3x platinum in 2023.
Don Burton, who was married to O’Riordan and also managed her career, addressed the similarities between the two situations.
“The similarities here with Dolly Parton loving Bad Wolves version of Jolene, and sadly passing before recording, is tragic, but once again the Bad Wolves have agreed to donate their proceeds to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, and based on the ‘Zombie’ track record, this could provide a lot of books for young children around the world.”
Boecklin also emphasized the band’s desire to honor Parton’s charitable legacy through the release.
“We will honor Dolly’s incredible legacy by donating proceeds from ‘Jolene’ to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. We know that we can contribute to Dolly’s vision of giving access to books and improving literacy.”
However, the release has not been without controversy.
Bad Wolves guitarist AJ Rebollo announced his departure from the band shortly before the song’s release, claiming that the label’s decision to move forward with the track was the final breaking point.
Rebollo said that multiple members of the band had expressed opposition to releasing the song following Parton’s death, particularly because her planned appearance was no longer possible.
“I have been at odds with one too many decisions being made for the band for quite some time, but the final nail in the coffin was the label’s decision to move forward with the upcoming Dolly Parton cover, after we blatantly expressed our opposition.”
Rebollo said the band had concerns that releasing the cover so soon after Parton’s death could be perceived as an attempt to capitalize on the tragedy.
“We, as an entity, told the label we had no interest in releasing the cover after learning of Dolly’s unfortunate passing as her collaboration on the song was no longer a possibility, and we felt it would (understandably) be interpreted as somewhat of a capitalization on her passing from an outside perspective.”
Despite those objections, Rebollo claimed that Better Noise Music proceeded with the release.
“They went ahead and posted that we were releasing it anyway, despite efforts from more than one member, myself included, to oppose it.”
The guitarist ultimately said the ongoing disagreements with the band’s label had taken a significant toll.
“With the label completely disregarding numerous decisions we make out of passion, and ultimately just unknowingly exhausting the band’s attempts to fully enjoy being here, I am no longer happy here.”
Rebollo’s departure adds another layer to what was already an emotionally complicated release. While Bad Wolves maintain that the song is intended to honor Dolly Parton and support one of her most prominent charitable initiatives, the circumstances surrounding its release have clearly divided members of the band.
For now, “Jolene” stands as an unusual continuation of a situation that has happened to Bad Wolves before: a planned collaboration with a legendary vocalist that ultimately became a posthumous tribute.
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